Abstract/Summary

Adequate supply of aggregate resources is vital for developing and
sustaining our modern society. However, these resources are finite
and can only be extracted from where they occur.
The Milton Keynes and South Midlands (MKSM) Growth Zone
was first identified by the Regional Planning Guidance for the
South East (RPG9, 2001). The Sustainable Communities Plan,
published by the former ODPM in 2003, to help address the acute
housing shortage in England a sustainable pattern of development,
identified potential for up to 370 000 new homes within the
Growth Zone by 2031. The Milton Keynes & South Midlands Sub-
Regional Strategy (2005) provides a detailed analysis of areas with
potential for development within the Growth Zone and considers
factors including employment, transport links and utilities.
This report presents an analysis of aggregate resource
availability in and around the growth zone. It also
considers past and present aggregate supply and demand,
environmental factors, and transport and planning issues. It
aims to establish mechanisms for supplying the resources
required to develop sustainable communities in designated
growth zones.
The Project Area encompasses the MKSM Growth Zone and
surrounding areas with potential sand and gravel resource. This executive summary provides a digest of a much more detailed
technical report – ‘Aggregate supply and demand for sustainable
communities: a practical approach to problem solving’ (Harrison
et al., 2007). It is intended for use principally by those involved in
planning and economic development.